The crowning spire of the World Trade Center's tallest building has arrived in New York City after a 1,500-mile journey from Canada.

A barge carrying nine pieces of the steel spire that will top One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan was brought across New York Harbor on Tuesday from New Jersey's Port Newark, where it arrived from Canada.

Meanwhile, workers on the 104-story skyscraper were busy pouring concrete that will hold the 408-foot spire.

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Arrival: Sections of the crowning 408-foot spire for One World Trade Center arrive on a barge on the Hudson River

Finishing pieces: The barge is carrying nine pieces of steel that will eventually top off the new World Trade Center at a symbolic 1,776 feet, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere

Under construction: The trade center's director of construction, Steven Plate, says the spire marks a post 9/11 milestone that signifies New York City is 'better than ever'

The trade center's director of
construction, Steven Plate, says the spire marks a post 9/11 milestone
that signifies New York City is 'better than ever.' The heaviest piece
weighs nearly 70 tons.

The spire is expected to rise into the Manhattan sky by spring.

Plate says the 1,776-foot high-rise — symbolizing America's freedom — will be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

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Delivery of the antenna had been in
jeopardy due to a legal dispute between the Port Authority of New York
& New Jersey and Canadian manufacturer ADF Steel that was eventually
resolved in October.

In a lawsuit filed at the New York Supreme Court, the Port Authority accused ADF of holding the antenna ‘hostage’ in a bid to receive $6 million it claimed it was owed from another WTC-related project.

There was a race against time to resolve the dispute before the onset of winter that could have delayed delivery of the antenna until next spring at the earliest.

VIDEO: WTC Construction Manager talks about spire's arrival:

Jeopardy: Delivery of the antenna had been in jeopardy due to a legal dispute between the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and Canadian manufacturer ADF Steel that was eventually resolved in October

The Atlantic Salvor barge made a 1,500-mile journey from Valleyfield, Quebec carrying the antennae pieces

Beacon of hope: One World Trade Center - the lit-up building on the left - is currently New York City's tallest skyscraper

Typically the St. Lawrence river
freezes during the winter and if ADF hadn’t shipped the giant antenna
parts by December, delivery would probably have been delayed and the March completion date of the tower would have been at risk.

That
would have had serious implications for the scheduled opening of One
World Trade Center and would also have resulted in the layoff of 100
iron workers who will construct the antenna from the 18 separate
segments.

The barge left
Valleyfield, Quebec, in mid-Novemver loaded with the nine largest
sections of the spire which range from five to 67 tons. The remaining 10
smaller sections are being transported via road.

Height: As the building's spire will no longer be enclosed, it may instead have to be classified as a simple antenna which, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, cannot be included in a building's official height

Once
these separate elements have been welded together into the 408-foot antenna,
which cost $10 million, will be placed on top of
the soon-to-be-completed WTC building.

The antenna, designed in collaboration with artist Kenneth Snelson, is part of the tower’s 'crown' and will allow the building to reach a symbolic height of 1,776 feet, a nod to the year the U.S. declared its independence from Great Britain.

The skyscraper is intended to serve as a ‘symbol of recovery’ after the original towers, which collapsed during the 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks.

One World Trade Center, left, is scheduled to be completed next year when it will be determined if it really is taller than the Willis Tower in Chicago

Once completed, One World Trade
Center had been expected to formally become the tallest building in the
Western Hemisphere, surpassing the Willis Tower (formerly known as the
Sears Tower) in Chicago.

However in May, plans were dropped to enclose the antenna with an ornamental white shell after it was claimed it would be too costly
and dangerous to maintain.

As
the building's spire will no longer be enclosed, it may instead have to
be classified as a simple antenna which, according to the Council on
Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, cannot be included in a building's
official height.

Without the inclusion of the antenna
mast, One World Trade Center's official height would be its roof height
of 1,318 feet, making it only the third-tallest building in the United
States, behind the Willis Tower and Trump International Hotel &
Tower, both located in Chicago.

Even without the spire, the
still-under-construction World Trade Center has already eclipsed the
Empire State Building’s 1,250 feet to make it the tallest building in
New York. However even that record might be surpassed by the completion of 432 Park Avenue in 2016, which is expected to rise to a height of 1,379 feet.

The building's developers dispute the claim that the spire should be reclassified as an antenna following the redesign, with Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman reiterating that 'One World Trade Center will be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.'

The CTBUH has announced it will wait to make its final decision as to whether or not the redesigned spire will count towards the building's official height until after One World Trade Center's completion next year.

The original twin towers: 1WTC is intended to serve as a 'symbol of recovery' after the original towers which collapsed in the Sept 11 terrorist attacks